San Francisco Superior Court prepares emergency-only operations as SEIU 1021 clerks threaten Thursday strike shutdown

Potential disruption to criminal, civil, and family proceedings

San Francisco Superior Court leaders say the city’s courthouse system could shift into an emergency posture this week if deputy court clerks represented by SEIU Local 1021 begin a strike as early as Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. Court officials have outlined plans to keep only constitutionally required and emergency functions running, while postponing a broad range of hearings and administrative processing that depend heavily on clerical staff.

The threatened walkout follows months of labor negotiations and a renewed dispute over staffing levels and training. The union has argued that persistent vacancies and insufficient training have contributed to delays and operational errors across court locations, including the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant St.

What services the court says would continue

Court management has said it would redeploy managers and other non-striking personnel to prioritize matters tied to statutory deadlines and immediate safety concerns. Under the plan described by court officials, calendars would be narrowed to a limited set of case types while other proceedings would be continued to future dates.

• Criminal matters tied to deadlines, including key early-stage proceedings such as arraignments
• Domestic violence and civil harassment proceedings
• Custody-related arraignments and other time-sensitive family matters
• Unlawful detainer proceedings (eviction cases) subject to scheduling and statutory requirements

For residents, the immediate impact could be fewer clerk windows open, delays in processing filings and orders, and postponements for hearings that are not treated as emergencies under the court’s contingency framework.

How talks reached a flashpoint

The court and SEIU Local 1021 have been bargaining over a multi-year contract amid broader strain on California’s trial courts, where staffing needs are closely tied to workload and available funding. Court leadership has said bargaining has included more than two dozen sessions and mediation efforts, and that talks had been at an impasse since December.

SEIU Local 1021 has countered that the unresolved issues are practical and immediate: inadequate staffing and training inside courtrooms and offices where clerks handle filings, records, and the processing of orders that can affect custody status, protective orders, and scheduling.

Prior labor actions and ongoing legal filings

A similar dispute led to a one-day walkout in 2024, after which the parties reached a short-term agreement intended to address staffing and training concerns. Union representatives have said promised improvements did not materialize at the scale needed. In recent weeks, both sides have taken the dispute into the state labor relations process through unfair practice filings.

Residents with pending matters are expected to face the greatest uncertainty around hearing dates, document processing times, and access to routine in-person services if a strike extends beyond a single day.

Court officials and union representatives remained in negotiations as the week began. If the strike proceeds, the court’s operational posture is expected to be updated daily based on staffing availability and the volume of emergency matters requiring immediate attention.